Kazuma's Choice
by LightningMistress2113
Summary: Bernhardt is back one last time to strike at Kazuma. He gives the wind magic user a choice – sacrifice his younger brother's life or the fire wielder Ayano's soul.


Hopefully I kept the characters well, in character. This idea was a mixture of a dream and reading other fics with this pairing.

Please review!

**Disclaimer** – I no own Kaze no Stigma or the characters. The plot is mine, though I wish I could keep Kazuma…

Summary – Bernhardt is back one last time to strike at Kazuma. He gives the wind magic user a choice – sacrifice his younger brother's life or the fire wielder Ayano's soul.

\/\/\/\/

"You want me to do WHAT?"

The high pitched voice of Enraiha's wielder echoed in the rectangle room. The head of the Kannagi family simply waited for his hotheaded daughter to calm down before proceeding once again.

"There has been a disturbance near where Bernhardt had tried to summon the demon." He sat down his warm cup of tea by his knees. Ayano sank back down to her sitting position with her legs folded underneath her and placed her hands in her lap. "You and Kazuma, along with Ren of course, will be searching the area for two nights."

Ayano felt her usual anger rising. "And why can't Kazuma just use his mighty wind to do that?"

"Because that would only alert whoever is there right now."

Ayano swung her head sideways to see the wind magic user leaning against the doorframe. His eyes were closed, arms crossed over his chest. Juugo smiled.

"Ah, Kazuma. Please sit down." The black sheep of the Kannagi family walked inside, shut the sliding door, and sat down in the space Juugo had waved at. He entwined his fingers in his lap while a serious expression settled over his face.

Ayano grumbled under her breath but returned her attention to her father.

"Where's Ren?" The Kannagi head asked. Kazuma shrugged.

Footsteps pounded outside the wooden door. "I'm right here!" The young blonde boy opened the door with a bright smile. He spotted his older brother and hurried to sit down in the place next to him after shutting the door, facing Juugo.

"Now that everyone is here, I will explain the details…"

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Ayano cursed under her breath as yet another twig snagged her long pink tresses. Yanking the offending piece of wood out of her soft hair, she continued stomping ahead. She knew Kazuma and Ren were right behind her keeping an eye out for anything unusual. Her anger flared when once again a twig entangled her hair.

"Gah!" The fire wielder finally yelled. Snickering came from behind her and, without thinking, she summoned her fire sword. As usual, Kazuma ducked under her downward arc. Ren sighed heavily, watching as his brother was chased by the Kannagi heir.

It never stopped…

Kazuma chuckled at Ayano's distress. She had never hit him before with her fire magic while running around like that. What made her think this time would be any different?

The wind spirits suddenly buzzed with whispers of something coming. He dodged her latest attack, wrapped a hand around her right wrist, and bodily twirled her around. Enraiha vanished as her back banged into his hard chest. The fire wielder immediately struggled to get of his arms wrapped around her, face hot.

The dark haired wind mage leaned in close to her ear. "Stop wiggling baka. Someone's here." Thankfully the hot tempered young woman relaxed somewhat. Her face still burned and she was eternally grateful for the semi-darkness surrounding them.

A small hand grasped the bottom of her school uniform's skirt. Her eyes flew down to meet a blonde head near her left leg. Ren looked up and gave her a tiny smile. Kazuma shifted behind her but didn't let go of her for some reason.

Ayano kept her senses on high alert. The night air was a little damp. Trees rustled in the slight breeze. No animals disturbed the ground or thick silence. Nothing seemed out of place. The fire wielder began to wonder if Kazuma had just made up the story of someone coming to get her to cease spouting flaming balls of purifying light at him.

Maybe the sacred fire could cure him of being a pervert…

She latched onto her rising ire and threw an elbow into the wind user's side. He let her go with a grunt. Whirling around, Ayano summoned Enraiha and swung. Kazuma gave her an exasperated look while one hand clenched around her wrist holding the burning sword just above his head.

"What do you think you're doing idiot?" He hissed. The wind spirits kept whispering that something evil was coming. And now Ayano had done exactly the opposite of helping him. Really. He probably should've expected the hotheaded girl to pull a stunt like this.

_"Ka-zu-ma…"_

Ren had enough common sense to retreat. The wind mage eyed his younger brother but the blonde merely shook his head. Sighing, Kazuma knocked Enraiha out of Ayano's grip. She sputtered in indignation as she took a step back to resummon the fire sword…

And was blinded by a bright white light.

She distantly heard her name being yelled but couldn't lift a finger to answer. Her eyes closed against the harsh brilliance. She could _feel_ the heat from the radiance and idly wondered why. Was this a magic spell or something?

The fire wielder felt a tugging sensation then suddenly flopped down on a hard tiled floor. Her eyes flew open only to be met with inky darkness. Fear bloomed inside her chest, realizing the situation was turning bad.

Where was she? And where were Kazuma and Ren?

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Paralyzed, Ren watched as the white light receded, leaving only a circle burnt into the surrounding grass. His wide eyes shifted to his brother, who stood frozen as well. Ayano had disappeared.

"Ren." The low tone of Kazuma's voice sent Ren on high alert. "Don't move."

The blonde let out a bewildered "Huh?" before a strong brush of wind flew past him. It was followed by another and then another. He closed his eyes and remained still.

Kazuma sent out one blast of wind after another in all directions. He knew the exact person who was responsible. Even though that man had vanished along with his favorite puppet more than two months ago, it seemed he was back.

Why did he have the sudden gut feeling it was to break him?

The wind spirits whispered to him where a disturbance was. Kazuma sent out a big blast of wind only to have it deflected. His eyes snapped open, knowing that was where Bernhardt had to be. Grabbing his younger brother by the waist, he used his wind magic to fly them there.

Sure enough, Bernhardt stood proudly by the gigantic hole in ground they had caused from summoning Belial. Lapis faced the two magic users with the tip of her huge sword resting on the floor. Kazuma gently set down Ren then glared at Bernhardt.

"Where is she?" He hissed, his feelings in turmoil. The sorcerer laughed.

"Right where she's meant to be." Bernhardt turned around and raised one hand. Lapis leaped forward. Thinking the puppet was going to attack him first, Kazuma threw up a wind barrier. Instead she merely plucked Ren off the ground then returned to the sorcerer's side.

Kazuma growled. Not protecting his own brother before himself was a new low for him. Clenching his hands, the wind mage tried to use his wind to separate Ren and Lapis. The puppet merely jumped out of the way and lightly squeezed an arm around Ren's throat.

Bernhardt waved at Lapis. "You know where I'll be. Remember Tsui-Ling." They both faded away before Kazuma could do anything. Wind began swirling around his body as he screamed his rage and frustration to the sky.

After he ran out of air, he took to the sky. He knew the exact place Bernhardt would hold both Ayano and Ren. It also just happened to be the same place he had lost Tsui-Ling all those years ago.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Blasting open yet another door, Kazuma growled. This was taking too long. Sending a sliver of wind ahead didn't help him find his way either. By now, it was all guess and by golly.

His ears picked up a whimper of pain. He blasted the closest door open and walked in. The room was different. Instead of a blank room with red carpet, a hallway spread out ahead. Lights lined the walls, giving off a yellow glow. Somehow he knew Ayano and Ren were at the end.

Sending a thread of wind ahead, the wind mage hurried down the hallway. After not seeing any doors for awhile, he began to wonder if he had just imaged the whimper. The wind he had sent earlier soon alerted him of the fact that Ayano and Ren were indeed somewhere at the end of the hallway.

His pace picked up upon the information. Nearing a set of huge closed double doors, Kazuma didn't bother with being quiet and banged them open. Bernhardt already knew he was coming anyway.

Rushing inside, the wind user slid to a stop in shock at the scene before him.

Bernhardt stood behind a horizontally floating Ayano in the center of the enormous domed chamber. The fire wielder was supporting several cuts on her naked skin, crimson liquid dripping into a small circle of swirling black and purple beneath her. Kazuma barely noticed that the wounds were in the exact same place as Tsui-Ling's with one or two additions. Off to the top right of the round room, Lapis was relentlessly attacking his younger brother. Ren wasn't doing to bad on his own but he would need backup soon – even _he_ had a hard time holding against the puppet before.

He knew both needed his help immediately and yet it seemed like there wouldn't be enough time to rescue both.

Bernhardt laughed manically at the agonized look on Kazuma's face. "You can only save one Kazuma! Choose before you lose both!" Those sentences only solidified his earlier conclusion. His heart was torn – stop Lapis from killing his brother or save the girl he had feelings for from the same fate as Tsui-Ling. Memories from that time threatened to overtake his mind, the usual rage companioning. He was tempted to give in once again.

Maybe he could save both that way…

"Kazuma!" His attention focused on the wavering voice of Enraiha's wielder. Ayano had turned her head slightly to give him her famous angry glare. "Save Ren!"

Kazuma admired her courage but there were just sometimes when she was down-right foolish. Balling his hands into fists, he returned the glare tenfold. "I can still save you both!" Bernhardt let out another maniacal laugh.

The fire wielder gasped in pain for a moment then closed her eyes and said through gritted teeth, "Didn't you say that you gained your power to protect the people in front of you?" Not waiting for a reply she continued after grimacing. "I don't see much protecting."

Kazuma had to give her credit. Perhaps there was hope for her after all.

"I will!" He yelled in frustration. She definitely wasn't making this any easier for him.

Ayano gave the ceiling a tiny smile before another strong wave of pain wracked her battered body. It had been non-stop and frankly, she was rather tired of it. She knew Bernhardt was the one casting the spell to have her eaten by a demon – just as Tsui-Ling had been. Damned if she went down without a fight though.

If only she could create an opening for Kazuma to rescue Ren…

A sudden idea sprang up through her befuddled brain. The reason why she always clapped her hands to summon Enraiha was to gather the fire spirits between her palms faster. Summoning them to one hand should allow her to distract Bernhardt for a few seconds.

Panting with the effort to concentrate, Ayano sent out a desperate plea to the fire spirits. _Please! I need your help!_ Her focus broke when a flash of white hot pain centered in the middle of her chest, just above her breasts. Her back arched as the feeling gradually intensified. It felt like something was trying to rip a part of her very soul away.

Panicking, the fire wielder tried once again. _I need to protect Kazuma!_ That was the only coherent thought in her mind. She repeated it over and over, the sentence eventually becoming a mantra.

Ayano clenched her right hand and felt a familiar flash of warmth before her fingers gripped the handle of Enraiha. Thanking the fire spirits for their help, she swung the sword upwards. It disappeared before the arc was even complete.

At least now the pain was gone, she rationalized. Her body became heavy and quickly descended to the ground. She couldn't have cared less if the circle beneath was gone or not; Kazuma could now focus on helping his younger brother.

A small smile flitted across her mouth as twin shouts of her name echoed, than her world went black.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Kazuma watched as Ayano's back arched, an orange glow coming from just above her breasts. The light gradually grew brighter, illumating the domed ceiling with an upside down triangle. Unexpectedly, Enraiha appeared in the girl's right hand, blazing with the Azure Flame. Kazuma knew Ayano had only managed to conjure the Azure Flame previously with his help. Now she had summoned it on her own and swung the sword up. Enraiha disappeared three seconds after forming.

Bernhardt stumbled back a step in surprise and Kazuma saw Lapis pause out of the corner of his eye. The circle underneath Ayano flashed once then also vanished. The wind user sent a blast of wind to catch her falling body when he saw it starting to descend. Bernhardt gave him a look crossed between frustration and amusement. He faded away a minute later before Kazuma could take out his rage on him.

He instead directed it at Lapis.

The puppet didn't even get to let out a frightened cry as his wind slashed her from all sides. Kazuma didn't let up until there was nothing left of the lookalike of his former love. Ren collapsed a few seconds later, breathing hard. The wind wielder hurried to the young boy's side.

"Are you alright?" Concern for his brother seeped into his usually impassive voice. The blonde nodded once then wobbly pointed at where Ayano floated three feet above ground.

"Is Ayano okay?" He asked between pants.

"I'll go check."

He rushed over to the unconscious fire wielder and gently pulled her into his embrace. He sank down to his knees, shakily resting two fingers on her pulse point. It was weak, but it was there. Releasing a breath he didn't know he'd been holding, he assessed the damage to her body. Luckily for him it was dim enough that he couldn't see the fine details.

His eyes were drawn to the inverted triangle just above her breasts. It was still faintly glowing orange. Sliding his hand down until his palm rested in the middle of the triangle, Kazuma wondered how it had gotten there.

All of a sudden, a burst of orange light enveloped them both. He closed his eyes against the harsh light, arms automatically tightening around Ayano's slim form. Fear trickled in when they squeezed empty air.

The wind mage snapped his eyes open to see Ayano standing fully clothed in her school uniform, Enraiha in her right hand, wounds healed, and a sheepish grin on her face. She cocked an eyebrow at his bewildered expression.

"Wha…?" was all the poor man could manage. Ayano knelt down and placed her hands on his arms frozen in midair. Enraiha vanished as she gently pushed his arms down.

Shaking her head, she answered his unspoken question. "I don't know."

Kazuma shot up and yanked her into the circle of his arms. She only got out a startled gasp before his mouth descended on hers. His arms constricted around her waist, bringing her even closer to his body. She slipped her fingers into his thick brown hair as his lips continued to assault her own.

She was really here. She was really here and in his arms, kissing him back. Joy bubbled inside his chest. The love of his life hadn't shared the same fate as Tsui-Ling.

Abruptly pulling away, Kazuma contemplated how and when his feelings had grown so deep for the hot tempered female. Her eyes searched his for a moment before narrowing. The wind user silently gulped as he recognized the look.

It was probably time to run.

_"Ka-zu-ma…"_ Ayano growled menacingly. He laughed, ducked under her arms, and skipped back to Ren. She clapped her hands, summoning her fire sword. Ren watched with extreme satisfaction as the two resumed their old antics once again.

Hopefully things would calm down a bit now.

\/\/\/\/\/

I can explain why Kazuma suddenly kissed Ayano! If the person you had feelings for almost died, wouldn't you want to confirm they're alive by action/contact?

Please make my day and review!

Lightning Mistress


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